A four-acre fire in Catawba is still smoking, although the fire is out.

The smoldering spots still make it difficult for fire marshals to sift through debris and ashes. Investigators must wait until the area is cool before determining how the fire started, said Bandys Crossroads Fire Chief Brady Little.

The fire started around 1 a.m. Monday at Dagenhart Pallet Inc. on Mathis Church Road in Catawba. More than 70 firefighters from more than 15 departments from Catawba, Iredell and Lincoln counties responded to the scene.

Firefighters were on the scene for more than 36 hours. Officers with the N.C. Division of Forest Service were on the scene until midday Wednesday. Officers will continue to check on the property periodically, but the site has been turned over to the company's owner for monitoring, Little said.

The area that burned was a storage lot for recycled wood that is turned into mulch. No one was injured.